Did anyone else grow up with those chocolate chip granola bars in your lunchbox? You know, the ones that were basically just oats and chocolate and… sugar. Like, so much sugar. Yeah, we loved those too.
But let’s be honest, we don’t have our teenage metabolisms anymore. When we crave sweet snacks we’re looking for something delicious but also wholesome and natural.
Now, here’s our hot take on sweets: desserts should not be healthy. They should be rich, sugary and indulgent. But we don’t eat those every day. So what do we do when a sweet craving strikes before a workout class or in the middle of a hike?
Enter: energy bites with chocolate and peanut butter. These are the perfect little snack to satisfy a craving without a sugar coma. These energy bites are versatile – eat a couple for a quick breakfast on the go or pack them in your lunchbox for a midday treat. There’s a lot of great stuff in there – protein, fiber, and some healthy fats.
These energy bites come together very quickly and last about a week in the fridge, making them a perfect addition to your Sunday night meal-prep routine. The steps are so simple:
First, pit some dates and blend them in a food processor until they turn into a sticky, uniform paste. You can rehydrate dates that are a little dry by soaking them in some hot water for about 5 minutes before adding them to the food processor. You could also do this with a blender or a bullet with a little extra effort.
Second, add oats, chia seeds, chocolate chunks, salt, honey, peanut butter, chopped almonds and date paste to a bowl and stir. This will still be chunky. You’re looking for a slightly tacky mixture that holds its shape when you squeeze it in your fist. If it sticks to your hand it’s too wet and you should add some more oats. If it totally crumbles, add a little more peanut butter or honey until it sticks.
Finally, grab about one heaping tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a 1-inch ball. Repeat until you’ve used the remaining mixture. You’ll want to place these in an airtight container and place pieces of parchment between layers to prevent them from sticking. Refrigerate them for at least an hour so they solidify, but they will last up to a week in the fridge.
Chocolate and peanut butter not your jam? Missing an ingredient? You can definitely improvise on this recipe. You could swap the peanut butter for another nut butter, trade chopped almonds for your favorite kind of nut, or add any of your favorite mix-ins, like white chocolate chips, dried fruit, and more. Here are some of our favorite variations:
- Pistachio and cranberry (swap peanut butter for almond butter, trade chocolate chips for dried cranberries, and trade almonds for pistachios)
- Turtle (swap peanut butter for something more neutral like sunflower seed butter, replace the almonds with chopped pecans, and trade half the chocolate chips for caramel bits)
- Nutella-inspired (swap the peanut butter for hazelnut butter, add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, and replace almonds with hazelnuts)
We hope you like these little bites of joy! Happy snacking, friends.
Energy Bites with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats (use GF oats if desired)
- ½ cup almonds chopped
- 6 dates food processed, see notes
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- ½ cup natural peanut butter (we use creamy unsalted)
- ¼ tsp salt (omit if using salted peanut butter)
- ⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate pieces or mini chocolate chips (use vegan if desired)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare the dates: first, remove pits. Then, use a food processor to turn the dates into a thick paste, about 30 seconds. (If the dates are dry, you can rehydrate them in a little bit of hot water for 5 minutes and drain before processing.)
- Transfer date paste to a medium mixing bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly mix until it forms a consistent texture. The mixture should hold its shape if you compress it, but you don’t want it to be very sticky. If it is too dry to hold its shape, add some more peanut butter or honey.
- Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place in a container, with layers separated by parchment. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating.
